


The Downed Man

by FairyNiamh



Category: Original Work
Genre: Creepypasta, Ficlet, Gen, Horror, POV Second Person, Trope Bingo Round 3, Urban Legends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-24
Updated: 2014-04-24
Packaged: 2018-01-20 14:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1514129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyNiamh/pseuds/FairyNiamh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's real and what is fiction? You don't know and you're not sure you want to know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Downed Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dante_s_hell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dante_s_hell/gifts).



> Thanks for Drivven for being there for me and being a wonderful beta.

You look over the lush green land and shiver. The land looks lush and peaceful, but you have heard the stories of what happened on this beautiful field.

You don't know if they are true, but you have heard them since you were a child and that is reason enough for your caution and fear. Deep down you don't think that The Downed Man was ever a real tale. Not really. However, maybe his roots are real. After all, you know most tales have a small grain of truth about them.

Maybe there really was a man who had been tricked into the field, beaten, and left for dead. Even in this day and age, it isn't too hard to believe. Nor was it hard to believe that there would be a grieving family who wanted retribution.

The part that was hard to believe was that the man came back to life three weeks later to ease his mother's grief. That his mother came to the clearing and cast the spell to bring The Downed Man back to life; and that somewhere the spell had gone wrong.

According to the story you heard, when the man came back; he was missing his eyes and his soul. He slayed his mother first. He took the knife she had used in the ceremony and slit her throat.

Next he slayed his bride to be, who had come to look for the woman who she thought of as family. This time he not only slit her throat, but gutted her as well.

It took eight people's deaths to finally get the town to talking. Whispers of the man seeking retribution; but with no eyes, he could not tell friend from foe. Thus, he killed anyone who he found in his field at night.

You know that there is a developer who is enamored with this tale and plans to build something here. What, you neither know nor care about, but you fear for the workers.

You look up at the sky and notice that the sun is just starting to set. You glance out in the field and see a figure in the distance. You can't make out any features. Not that it matters, there are too many descriptions of the man for anyone to be accurate.

Besides, you don't know if the figure is actually a prankster or... or The Downed Man, but you run to your car. Your heart is beating fast as you try to unlock the door. You curse yourself for being so cautious and locking the door when you were in the middle of nowhere. A place where no sane person would want to be at this time of day.

You let out a choked sob when the door finally unlocks and you get the door open. You start the car and drive away, never looking back. You are terrified that he will be there in your mirror. It might only be a tale with a grain of truth, but it is better to be safe than sorry. After all; you still want to live, don't you?

~Fin~


End file.
